Special Opening ceremony stamp

The Indian postal department has brought out a special stamp to commemorate the opening ceremony of the 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games that kickstarts in the capital today.

The Indian postal department has brought out a special stamp to commemorate the opening ceremony of the 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games that kickstarts in the capital on Sunday.

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If it is a village it ought to have its own post office and the brand new Commonwealth Games Village here is no exception.

Sandwiched between a row of shops in the International Zone is a fully operational post office, with its own pin code 110090, that seems to be attracting good business.

Having opened on September 16, the Post Office which offers facilities such as speed and registered post as well as ordinary mail, is also selling through its philately section a variety of stamps in different sizes.

These have, according to officials become popular among the athletes, who want to take home something from Delhi.

"People are very excited about the Post Office and are buying many stamps and other souveniers from here," says an official.

Magie Lynes, an England team official says, "It is very useful to have a post office in the village. Everybody wants to send something home."

She says she has been sending colourful postcards and letters to friends and relatives.

"One athlete, a shooter even shipped across a part of his gun. Initially he was skeptical whether we could deliver it but we wrapped the part and have couried it to Italy," says an official.

Generally the host countries of the Commonwealth Games as well as some competing nations celebrate the Games philatelically.